BIOFUEL OR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM BIO-OIL GASIFICATION BY USE OF THERMAL PLASMA

摘要

The use of renewable energy sources is becoming necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and economic dependence on fossil fuels. Although biomass is largely widespread in Europe, quantities are limited compared with the energy demand. Six years ago, the CEA launched a program with one of the main objectives being to develop a specific industrial process able to reach a high yield of conversion to improve and enable the valorization of available biomass stock. This process is based on a gasification process during which the required temperature level (temperature equivalent to entrained flow reactors) is reached thanks to the addition of external electric power, (the conversion being globally endothermal). Biomass is converted into syngas at very high temperature levels in order to reach gas specifications for a downstream Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Technological tools such as the electric arc or plasma torch are able to heat an industrial gasifier with an external source. With regards to the gas conversion/treatment, plasma torches seem to be a mature technology with several industrial applications, even though optimization is necessary to adapt the torch to a special plasma forming gas. The main technological objectives of the study led to adapting the existing technologies to such a new application. More specifically, this involved combining the plasma torch system with the high temperature reactor in an optimized way. Knowing that specific skills from various fields are necessary to reach these objectives, the CEA proposed a research project (named GALACSY) supported by the ANR (French National Research Agency). This paper presents the scientific and technological approaches of the 3-year Galacsy program currently underway.